Karavay A.V. Human capital of Russian hereditary workers. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. 2016. ¹ 6 (136). P. 107-124.

Abstract

The paper deals with the influence of workers’ socialization processes on the quality of their human capital. The research based on Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE) which demonstrates that hereditary workers’ human capital quality is lower than the other representatives’ of the professional group. However. the hereditary workers’ attitudes towards their human capital are characterized by its’ own specific nature and influenced by a set of factors. First, the low level of financial returns on the workers’ high skills leads to a devaluation of the whole process of education (both formal and self-education). Lack of the valuable attitudes towards education and time-resources as well is translated through generations. As the result, the young applicants reach only the formally demanded levels of qualification and reject to plan their professional development strategies. Secondly, the skills of both planning career and rational time management are moreover not needed by specifics of the job and lifestyle what leads to strengthening the life-for-theday mode of living implemented through the primary socialization and negative attitudes to human capital development. Thirdly the kind of ‘negative natural selection’ among workers takes place. The most ambitious representatives originated from worker-families choose occupations from other professional spheres (primarily service). It is concluded that the highlighted tendencies are supposed to grow stronger. The only way to prevent this is to create an effective motivation and incentive schemes of workers’ human capital development based on the rigid link between its quality and the income level.